Snowplow catches fire in Sterling Heights

A snowplow was destroyed after it caught fire inside of the Sterling Heights Public Works facility on Saturday evening after it had been used earlier in the day to clear snow on city streets, according to firefighters and the DPW director.

Fire crews were called to the Ray Filipchuk Public Works Center on 18 Mile Road between Van Dyke Avenue and Mound Road after passers-by called to report smoke coming from the building.

“The truck appears to be a total loss,” DPW Director Sal Conigliaro said Sunday afternoon.

Officials can’t say for sure what caused the single-axle dump truck equipped with a plow to catch fire, but they suspect it was related to the electrical system or a short circuit as a result of worn electrical cable insulation. Fire officials plan to continue their investigation later this week.

The fiberglass chassis burned rapidly and caused heavy smoke, which activated six sprinkler heads inside of the structure and prevented the flames from spreading to other vehicles.

There was “a lot of soot and smoke” that needs to be cleaned up but no structural damage, officials said.

The DPW center houses a variety of vehicles, flood pumps, 48 pieces of heavy equipment, 275 pieces of equipment ranging from chainsaws to tractors, and more, according to the city’s website. The fleet division in the center performs preventative maintenance on more than 700 vehicles and pieces of equipment a year.

The snowplow had been in use following the Dec. 26 winter storm that dumped up to 8 inches of snow on Macomb County both Friday and Saturday.

“I wouldn’t say it was overused,” Conigliaro said. “We really don’t know why it caught fire. It could be electrical, but right now it’s hard to say.”

Sterling Heights acquired the truck in 2001 and has one more vehicle the same age.

Conigliaro said the DPW fleet includes double-axle trucks that are considered the “front line” in normal snowplow operations. The smaller trucks, such as the one that caught fire, are often used in larger incidents such as snow emergencies, he said.

Although relatively rare, snowplows do catch fire from time to time.

Conigliaro recalled an incident involving a similar situation in recent years in Madison Heights.

In 2010, the New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control issued a bulletin after investigating three fire incidents involving snowplows, including two that caused significant damage to municipal garages. The trucks were manufactured between 2005 and 2008. They found the fires were caused by electrical systems or improper fusing in the equipment.

Due to budget restraints, the truck may not be replaced this year, but Conigliaro said the DPW still has enough vehicles to “do the job” for the remainder of this winter.

“We’ll look at replacing it when we go through the budget process,” he said. “It will be a priority.”